Video: The man was arrested following his alleged urination in a mosque / Credit: Israel Police

Upon receiving the report about the footage, Jerusalem District police officers began an investigation. Within a few minutes, the officers identified the suspect and arrested him at his residence. The young man was taken for questioning at the police station for the offense of offending religious sensibilities and behavior likely to disturb the public peace.

Israel Police patrol officers carried out the arrest, and the suspect is expected to be brought before a court. The police clarified in their statement that this was an unacceptable act and that there would be no tolerance or leniency toward acts of hatred against others.

The arrest was made as part of the Jerusalem District's focused enforcement activity against acts of violence toward religious institutions and clergy. The police emphasized that such cases would receive full operational attention and that their long arm would reach any suspect, wherever they may be.

Following the incident, the Israel Religious Action Center, founded by the Reform Movement, issued a sharp condemnation. "'The Center wishes to express deep shock at the published footage, in which a young Jewish man is documented urinating on the wall of the al-Azir mosque in Abu Ghosh, while boasting about the act and publishing it on the social network TikTok,' the statement read."

The organization defined the act as "'racist and humiliating, directly harming freedom of religion, the sanctity of the mosque, and the dignity of the worshipers.'" It was also noted that the incident joins other cases on social media in which videos with racist and inciting content are distributed, giving a broad platform to incitement and violence against Arabs.

The center called on the Israel Police and the State Attorney's Office "'to act decisively to bring the suspect to justice, and to ensure that there will be no cover-up or leniency in addressing this serious case.'" According to the organization, "'As long as such acts are not punished with the appropriate severity, they send a message of permission to encourage harm to holy places and to an entire public.'"

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Documentation provided to Israel Hayom reveals bookstore proprietors affiliated with Islamist networks celebrating their newfound ability to distribute these materials, which remained prohibited throughout Assad's tenure. While Assad's regime did support terrorist organizations, this support stemmed from different motivations, particularly alignment with Iranian geopolitical interests.

During one mosque sermon in Homs, a preacher declared, "Numerous enemies surround us. Internally, we face minorities, separatists, remnants from Assad's regime, and individuals who despise Muslim leadership. Externally, our adversaries are equally abundant. They seek to prevent us from achieving freedom and dignity, attempting to maintain tyrannical rule, imprisonment, exile, and resource exploitation. Our singular option remains steadfast unity, patience, and solidarity with our state and leadership. The greatest threat we confront is internal disorder. Defiance of leadership directives and excessive criticism foster rebellion and state delegitimization, ultimately enabling coups and destructive civil unrest."

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In the Islamic textbooks, contradictory content was found – some call Jews "people of the book" and describe shared origins, but others call them "idol-worshipping and hypocrites." In the Christian books, claims were found about the collective guilt of Jews in Jesus' death. The Holocaust is mentioned only superficially, without reference to the Jewish identity of the victims, and the books contain incorrect maps describing "Palestine in the time of Christ" or describing Abraham's migration to "Palestine" instead of Canaan.

The problems are not limited to content about Jews. "Homosexualism and lesbianism" are described as "strange and immoral cultures," and women receive stereotypical treatment. Minority religions are described as "cults," and immigrants as "economic saboteurs."

Marcus Sheff, CEO of IMPACT-se, emphasized the importance of the findings. "Africa is the fastest-growing continent in the world, and Nigeria is its most populous country. The education that Nigerian children receive today will shape not only the future of the country, but the entire continent," he said. He added that when Israel works to expand its relations in Africa, it is important to understand how perceptions of Jews and Israel are formed among the younger generation.

Despite the criticism, the report also notes positive aspects in the Nigerian textbooks. Calls for mutual respect between religions, condemnation of gender violence and forced marriages, recognition of the Jewish-Igbo community in Nigeria, and a positive description of the Israeli parliamentary system as a model government alongside Britain were found.

The organization announced that it would work with policymakers in Nigeria to implement the report's recommendations, while emphasizing the importance of quality education for global understanding and international cooperation.

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To explore this, we spoke with two experts on religions and their connection to the city – Professor Eyal Ben Eliyahu from the University of Haifa and Dr. Daniella Talmon-Heller from Ben-Gurion University.

Judaism: Holiness developed gradually

Professor Ben Eliyahu begins by noting that even in Judaism, Jerusalem became sacred later than commonly believed, and the process was slow.

"In the Bible, in the Five Books of Moses, Jerusalem is not mentioned at all. This is an interesting point where the Torah and the Quran are equal – because the city is not mentioned in either. The first place Jerusalem is mentioned is in the Book of Joshua, but even there, there is no special relationship to the city. The first time it becomes sacred is when King David brings the Ark of the Covenant to it. After him, King Solomon builds the Temple there. Later, in the Book of Chronicles II, it is mentioned that the Temple was built on Mount Moriah. This note throws us back to the story of the binding of Isaac and adds to the city's holiness," Professor Ben Eliyahu said.

Professor Ben Eliyahu adds that after the biblical period, the question arose of why Jerusalem is barely mentioned in it. Maimonides answered that the city was hidden to prevent quarrels between the tribes and so that the nations of the world would not want to conquer it. The sages during the Second Temple period and afterward also intensified the city's holiness and established circles around it – the Temple Mount as the holiest, then the entire city, and finally all of the Land of Israel.

Christianity: Problematic, political, and complex holiness

Professor Ben Eliyahu emphasizes that Jerusalem's holiness for Christianity was established from political motives.

"When examining the Christian attitude toward Jerusalem, you see that it is very complex. Jerusalem rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and he also prophesied its destruction. Jesus was crucified in the city and did not even sleep there when he arrived. Christianity was shaped in the Galilee – which is why to this day the Pope does not sleep in Jerusalem when visiting the land. Christians speak of the heavenly Jerusalem. The one who nevertheless sanctified the city, mainly for political reasons, was the Byzantine Emperor Constantine, during whose time the place of Jesus's crucifixion was discovered at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher," Professor Ben Eliyahu said.

Dr. Talmon-Heller adds that the process of sanctifying the city began because Jesus acted and was crucified there.

"Helena, the mother of Constantine, discovered through a miracle the place of the crucifixion and the cross on which he was crucified. She built the church at the site. During this period, Christianity was not interested in the Temple Mount, but when the Crusaders arrived, they saw the Islamic buildings on the Temple Mount – the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque – and appropriated the place for themselves. Initially, the King of Jerusalem resided there, and later the Templar order. Additionally, Christian holiness was also strengthened with the establishment of the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus walked to the crucifixion, by the Franciscan order during the Mamluk period," Dr. Talmon-Heller said.

Islam: Immediate but different holiness

Regarding Islam, Dr. Talmon-Heller notes that Jerusalem's holiness was immediate from the beginning of Islam.

"Jerusalem is indeed not mentioned in the Quran, but it was Muhammad's first direction of prayer for the first 12 years. Already in 692, the Dome of the Rock was built, and later Al-Aqsa Mosque as well – both in great splendor. Jerusalem is third in holiness in Islam, after Mecca and Medina, so there is an Islamic pilgrimage and continuous investment in its development by Muslim rulers," Dr. Talmon-Heller said.

However, among Shiites, the attitude is different.

"Among Shiites, there is concentration around the graves of the Imams, descendants of Muhammad. The burial place of Ali's son, in the city of Karbala, is considered more sacred than Jerusalem in their eyes, and there are even hints that it is holier than Mecca. Therefore, Shiites devote less attention to Jerusalem," Dr. Talmon-Heller said.

Additional religions and sects

Beyond the three monotheistic religions, it turns out there are additional streams, mainly those that broke away from Christianity, that sanctify Jerusalem.

Professor Ben Eliyahu explains that the Mormons, a half-Christian, half-pagan sect with multiple deities, sanctified Jerusalem.

"They tried to settle there over the years, partly because, according to their tradition, the founders of the religion left Jerusalem for the United States. Therefore, the city symbolizes a spiritual idea for them. Additionally, there is also a practical consideration – parties that had a foothold in the city received many donations and pilgrims," Professor Ben Eliyahu said.

Ben Eliyahu adds that there was also an American-Swedish Protestant utopian sect that operated in the city during the Ottoman period – the American Colony.

"This group, which operated in the 19th century, advocated for equality of property and a strict internal regime. Later, it disbanded, and its descendants now own the famous American Colony Hotel in the city," Professor Ben Eliyahu said.

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The simple clicker, which sells for just a few shekels, between 5-10 shekels ($1.41-$2.82) and through direct import from China, where it can be found for about one shekel ($0.28), has become a wild hit with supplies running out instantly. But what most parents and children don't know is that the digital clicker wasn't designed for counting steps, tasks, or competitions, but actually replaces the traditional Muslim prayer beads known as "misbaha."

The misbaha in its original form is used by Muslim believers to count the number of times they praise Allah during prayer. The original misbaha is made of 99 beads symbolizing all 99 names of Allah mentioned in the Quran. A shortened misbaha has 33 beads. The purpose of the misbaha is to assist in reciting all of Allah's names one after another, and now – instead of the traditional beads we've progressed to an electronic clicker.

It's not entirely clear how a device intended for Muslim religious purposes has become a competitive game in Israel. While in Muslim tradition the misbaha is used for counting praises to God during prayer, the digital clicker in the hands of Israeli children has become a means for measuring motor skills, patience, and thumb endurance. But that's probably the secret of trends – they come in huge waves, pass quickly, and are left behind forgotten.

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For years, Ramadan was a month of tension that Israel treated with respect and security suspicion, while arranging to allow freedom of worship at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Israel's capital – in the shadow of terrorism directed mainly at Jerusalem. Now, after the IDF crushed Hezbollah and Hamas – who even remembers Ramadan while the "death-seeking" mujahideen are trading in Jewish corpses and hostages, profiteering from humanitarian aid to their people, begging for a ceasefire, and hiding among ruins and sewage tunnels?

On one hand, instead of distributing "halawiyat" (sweets) when Jews were murdered, Hamas members are now extracting the bodies of their terrorist family members from the rubble and from the teeth of wild dogs in the streets. On the other hand, they are trading in Jewish bodies and hostages. Perhaps reducing humanitarian aid might strengthen the fast and possibly distance them from hellfire. Qatar – which supported, incited, and financed Palestinian terrorism – must prepare to receive Hamas criminals, Islamic Jihad, and the Palestinian mob that supports them.

Most plays and films during Ramadan deal with Islamic prophecies and its future world domination within the framework of "end times" promises, the greatness of Islam and its conquests – especially from the days of Muhammad and his supporters and, of course, Salah al-Din and his victories against the Crusaders – in short: Sinwar's dreams.

The name 'Ramadan' likely originates from the Arabic root letters r-m-d (related to heat and burning), which corresponds to the Hebrew word "rametz" meaning "scorching heat." This connection makes sense as the month was originally celebrated by nomadic Arab tribes during the Jahiliyyah period, always during the peak of summer. Since Islam abolished the leap year, Islamic dates change and occur sometimes in summer and sometimes in winter.

In complete contrast to the Islamic invaders, Jews lived in the Land of Israel as a permanent agricultural society – not nomadic. Jews have celebrated their holidays there for thousands of years revolving around agricultural seasons precisely according to the Hebrew leap-year calendar. As permanent residents and owners of the land, Jews tied their lives, holidays, and worship to the soil of the Land of Israel, the pilgrimage, and sacrificial offerings in the Temple in Jerusalem as commanded in the Torah.

The idealization of Islamic conquests in "Ramadan stories" is an important motif especially among Palestinians, who are obsessively engaged with how nomads and invaders emerged from the Arabian Peninsula in their raids ("ghazawat") on behalf of "Allah" to our land, on their way to implementing Islamic rule over the world in the "end of days," moving in pursuit of grazing grass, plunder, blood, looting, rape, and murder. This is the fuel that drives Islamic movements from the breeding ground of the Muslim Brotherhood even today.

Seemingly, Muslims attribute to this fasting period a closeness to God and improvement of character in order to gain God's forgiveness and redemption from hellfire. In practice, Ramadan stories generate in the Islamist mob (fasting, religious lessons, incitement, sermons, and "night stories") inflammatory and murderous radicalization starring bearded sheikhs from terrorist organizations who turn every madman, dressed in a thawb and wearing slippers, armed with a knife – into Salah al-Din.

As mentioned, during the Jahiliyyah period, Ramadan was considered a month in which a ceasefire was declared. It was an agreement between the tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. Tradition attributes to Muhammad a saying (hadith) about Ramadan that creates a spiritual acronym from its name: the R representing "Rahma" (mercy), the M representing "Maghfira" (forgiveness), and the D/N representing 'Najat min al-Nar' (salvation from hellfire).

From Ramadan to war, terrorism, murder, and bloodshed

But even Islamic countries (Egypt attacked us during Ramadan 1973, which fell on Yom Kippur) and especially Islamist terrorist organizations have deliberately turned the "rametz" of Ramadan into an inferno of war, terrorism, murder, and bloodshed. Palestinian terrorist organizations have gone further: not only do they choose to wage wars and carry out terrorist attacks specifically during Ramadan, which is sacred to them, but they will always prefer to carry out acts of murder and attacks specifically during Jewish holidays. The recent massacre in the Gaza border communities was also carried out on Simchat Torah and on Sabbath.

The murderous traits embedded in Palestinian "believers" are far worse than those of their ancestors from the Jahiliyyah period. Sinwar's murderous dreams, which included kidnapping civilians, soldiers, and children, raping women (as per Islamic tradition), and trading in bodies (necrophilia), have turned from a dream into an ongoing Palestinian-Hamas nightmare. Instead of the "Mahdi" of the "end times," they are faced with ginger-haired Trump who demands they emigrate from Gaza (a recommended destination is Qatar – the bank of terrorism and Islamic incitement, a land without people – which will be forced to absorb "people" without land).

For Ramadan, Trump demanded the release of the hostages (dead and alive) and announced that he is equipping Israel with powerful deep-penetration bombs. The significance of these bombs is that they can penetrate deep tunnels, Iranian bunkers, and even collapse both the Aswan Dam and the "Nahda" Dam together (if needed). These "end time" scenarios can unite the holiday of Purim (destruction of Haman/Khamenei) with Passover (drowning of Pharaoh's army and forces).

No "mercy" or "forgiveness" will any human being find in the barbarians of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and their supporters – only fire and columns of smoke. All those rapists, child murderers, and beheaders "in the name of the merciful and compassionate Allah" who invaded the Gaza border communities on Sabbath – Simchat Torah in October 2023 – will spend Ramadan this year – as a month of murderousness – in collapsing plastic greenhouses.

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Professor Gad Saad didn't need the violent protests by progressive students at elite American universities to become disillusioned. The Jewish-Canadian researcher born in Lebanon, considered a pioneer in evolutionary psychology research, has for years seen himself as a whistleblower against forces trying to "kill the West with a thousand cuts," in his words.

To illustrate this, he tells me about a celebratory dinner that took place 23 years ago, honoring one of his students who had completed his doctorate. "Before the dinner, my student called me anxiously: his partner, who was of course also invited, was a student of postmodernism, gender studies, and social anthropology. He was familiar with my opinions, which were already solid at that time, and wanted to make sure I would welcome her. Although I made sure to tell him that this was indeed 'the holy trinity of bullsh*t,' I reassured him that it was his evening and I would maintain complete silence. In retrospect, I don't know why I promised that," Saad says with a smile.

It turned out he's not made of the material that sits quietly in the face of what he characterizes as "intellectual terrorism," or as he writes in his book, "I am not someone who misses an opportunity to mock those who naturally remove their own brain lobes."

During the evening, Saad politely turned to his guest and asked: "As a postmodernist, do you believe there are no universal truths?" When she replied affirmatively, he continued pressing: "So tell me, among Homo sapiens, who gives birth – women or men?" The woman confidently replied that the mythology of one of the ancient Japanese tribes teaches that men actually gave birth to children, "and when you hint at such generalizations," she concluded her argument, "You're essentially keeping women in the kitchen." Saad tried to recover from her response and examine whether she would at least agree with the statement that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but she replied that the concepts of "sun" and "east" are nothing more than oppressive Western cultural constructs. "And this was in 2002," Saad emphasizes, "when such opinions were still considered extreme. Today, many students at leading universities hold them."

"So anyone with their eyes open," he returns to current events, "didn't really need October 7 to understand that the West is losing its rationality, although the images of transgender individuals joining Islamists across elite American universities indeed illustrated to many what I had been shouting about. Concordia University in Montreal, where I taught for years, was called 'Hamas University'. Already in 2002, they canceled a visit by Benjamin Netanyahu. In my book, I describe the 'parasitic ostrich syndrome' – people who prefer to bury their heads in the sand and not see reality. My book traces the development of these parasitic ideas."

In the eyes of Saad, an evolutionary psychologist currently serving as a visiting professor at Northwood University in Michigan, the main threat to the West lies in "woke" culture, which he says destroys academia and is engaged in the systematic corruption of the two values that led the West to greatness: truth and freedom. Saad's willingness to address controversial topics, combined with his sharp tongue and mocking style toward his opponents, has made him one of the prominent voices in contemporary culture wars; his popular podcast, The Saad Truth, founded in 2017, has garnered over 300,000 followers, and his Twitter account is followed by 1.2 million people.

His bestselling book, published in English in 2020 under the title "The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense," has now been translated into Hebrew with the title, "Parasites: How the West Lost Common Sense," and was published by Shibolet. The book received warm recommendations from Canadian conservative thinker Jordan Peterson, and Elon Musk's enthusiastic endorsement also appears on the cover.

One of Saad's main weapons is his charisma and humor. "Yes, I use cynicism and humor. Some ask me, 'Doesn't that hurt your authority as a professor?' Not at all, quite the opposite! Precisely because I'm confident in myself, I can also fool around and mock the foolish. If I lacked confidence, I would play the 'serious professor,' with a pipe and a condescending look. But I'm a regular person with an academic background, and that's what connects people to me."

Could that be why people from the opposing camp also find it difficult to "cancel you"?

"Exactly, it's hard to hate someone with a warm personality and humor. That doesn't mean I don't have enemies – I have many. But I'm not cold and I'm not bitter. Once someone interviewed me, and at the end said: 'I'm really angry at you, I intended to finish this interview hating you, but I really like you.' Those who really listen to me know there isn't a drop of hatred in me. I attack ideas, not people. Besides, I always make sure to present the facts and not just throw words around. I speak confidently because the evidence is on my side."

His satirical style has often led to genuine misunderstandings. In 2018, one of his tweets on Twitter managed to confuse not only Western media but also Muslim media outlets. The incident began when the noted biologist Richard Dawkins commented on Twitter about Winchester Cathedral's bells, comparing them to calls of Allahu Akbar: "I'm listening to the beautiful bells of Winchester, one of our greatest medieval cathedrals. So much nicer than the aggressive 'Allahu Akbar.' Or is that just my cultural upbringing?" In response, Saad tweeted: "Dear Richard, Arabic is my mother tongue. Properly translated, 'Allahu Akbar' means 'We love all people but hold a special fondness for Jews, women, and homosexuals.' Don't worry. It's a message of love, tolerance, and liberalism."

Not everyone understood the irony. Even the respected Newsweek initially reported that Saad had criticized Dawkins' remarks, only correcting the report later when it became clear it was a joke. But the confusion didn't end there. A popular Pakistani newspaper published a scathing article condemning Dawkins' "Islamophobia," quoting Saad's response as evidence. After the newspaper realized the tweet was satirical, all mention of Saad was deleted from the article.

In Saad's view, postmodernism is "the grandfather of all parasitic ideas that have taken over academia. Its claim is that there are no universal truths except for the one universal truth that there are no universal truths. In other words, it collapses into itself right at the starting point. But why let the logic of an old-fashioned person like me bother anyone? Postmodernism has become 'intellectual terrorism': left is right, men are women, up is down, slavery is freedom, war is peace. Under the guise of intellectual depth, postmodernism promoted nihilism that allowed all the other nonsense we see today to flourish in academia."

Some argue that the use of this concept is mistaken, since postmodernism is an ideology that began in the 1970s and doesn't really have any connection to today's wokeism.

Saad disagrees. "Transgender activism wouldn't thrive without the postmodernist assumption that there is no biological truth determining that there are only two sexes – male and female. No, claim the postmodernists, 'sex is a spectrum.' It's like claiming that the number of our fingers isn't a law of nature because some people are born with 11 fingers. Another parasitic idea originating in postmodernism is the claim that there is no human nature or innate biological drives, only social constructs. Or cultural relativism that asks, 'Who are you to determine what is moral?' You mustn't judge a society that performs female genital mutilation, that would be 'cultural imperialism.'"

"According to postmodernism, there are no moral, stable, or epistemological truths – not even musical ones. If I randomly hit objects," Saad wonders as he drums on the table, "who are you to determine that this isn't brilliant music? Who are you to determine that a blank canvas isn't a sublime work of art? In 1996, I visited the Carnegie Museum, paid to see art, and found myself facing a blank canvas. I demanded to see the museum's curator, but they sent someone else who asked how she could help me. 'Why is there a blank canvas here,' I asked. And she answered: 'It causes us to have a fascinating conversation.' This is exactly the attack on common sense that has brought us to the situation we find ourselves in today."

Saad's frequent use of the term "parasitic" for ideas he considers foolish is not coincidental. Saad is considered a pioneer in applying evolutionary psychology to consumer behavior, arguing that biology shapes not only our bodies but also our thoughts and decisions. From the beginning of his academic career, through his tenure as the Research Chair in Darwinian Consumption and Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences at Concordia University, he has confronted the research consensus that viewed humans as creatures existing outside biological logic.

Evolutionary psychology examines how human thinking mechanisms, emotions, and behaviors were shaped by natural selection. Unlike the view that sees humans as a "blank slate," this approach argues that our consciousness consists of adaptive systems that evolved over many years to cope with survival challenges. The research deals with, among other things, emotions like jealousy and guilt, patterns of mate selection, and the development of social relationships. By combining biology, psychology, and cognition, researchers in this field aim to identify universal patterns and explain them as evolutionary adaptations.

This is precisely what makes Gad Saad a stubborn opponent of radical feminism. According to social construction theory, gender differences – for example, in toy preferences – are not innate but rather the result of education and culture. Parents and society, it is claimed, encourage boys to play with trucks and girls with dolls, which leads to gaps between the sexes even in adulthood. In an effort to appear progressive, the toy industry has partially adopted this perspective. However, Saad presents research evidence that undermines these basic assumptions: infants only a few months old – even before they have had time to internalize social messages – exhibit clear gender preferences for toys. The ratio of finger lengths, which reflects levels of testosterone exposure in the womb, is directly related to the preference for trucks among males. Even chimpanzees show similar preferences, pointing to deep biological roots. Saad formulates his conclusion with characteristic sarcasm: "Social construction supporters might argue that the chauvinistic patriarchy has managed to influence primates as well. Never underestimate the delusions and dogmatic madness of those afflicted with parasitic ostrich syndrome."

"How is it possible that brilliant people – economists, psychologists, behavioral researchers – refuse to acknowledge that biology also shapes human consciousness?" he wonders in our conversation. "This was the first time I understood that completely intelligent people can be infected with parasites of foolishness." According to him, for three decades he has seen how ideologies strangle reason and science. "Neuro-parasitology studies parasites that change the brain of their hosts, a common phenomenon in nature. Unlike a regular parasite, which affects the body, a neuro-parasite takes over the brain and changes its behavioral patterns. There is no more precise explanation for the impact of pathological ideas on our culture."

"Take wood crickets for example," Saad uses his favorite example. "They avoid any contact with water, as they fear drowning. But when a 'hairworm' parasite attaches to them, the parasite needs the cricket to jump into water to complete its reproductive cycle. As a result, the infected cricket undergoes a kind of 'zombification' and leaps into the water voluntarily, thereby sacrificing itself for the benefit of the parasite. This is how I perceive progressive students, radical feminists, and even certain liberal Jews. They internalize foreign ideas that lead them to act against their own interests, and essentially commit suicide. Unfortunately, the source of these ideas is academia."

In his book, Saad presents the political imbalance in American universities: a 2018 study that examined 51 out of the 60 leading humanities colleges in the United States found a ratio of 10.4 Democratic professors to one Republican professor. In fact, without the two "exceptional" military colleges, in twenty institutions the percentage of Republican professors was negligible. Saad says that many conservative professors contact him secretly, thank him for his public work, and confess about the silencing they experience – and always ask that he not reveal their identities. "Ideological Stalinism exists daily in academia in North America," he writes.
There are academics, mainly from the conservative camp, who say that academia is already lost.

In various conversations of yours, I hear a more optimistic echo.

"The university is not dying, because most students and professors want to enrich their knowledge and participate in scientific endeavors. But it doesn't take many to contaminate the system, just as on September 11, only 19 terrorists changed the skyline of New York. The solution is twofold: on the one hand, to establish new institutions with correct values and absolute emphasis on freedom of expression and scientific freedom, and on the other hand, to 'vaccinate' existing universities and restore their logic. I don't think academia is lost; we can still change direction."

Israeli academia is also influenced by progressive ideas, but Saad is impressed that from this aspect, our situation is relatively good. "When you live in such a neighborhood, people are much less likely to fall victim to enormous stupidity. You don't have the luxury to waste time on empty discussions. Your dangerous neighborhood gives you a kind of natural immunity against parasitic ideas. Just as anorexia appears only in societies of abundance, parasitic ideas thrive only when you can afford the luxury. In Israel, when reality requires running to shelters, fewer people fall victim to foolishness."

The blindness that liberals and progressives display toward the dangers of Islam is, in Saad's view, one of the most serious manifestations of ignoring facts in favor of ideology. "A Jewish woman, granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, contacted me and told me she has a friend, a doctoral student of Islamic thought, who claims to her that 'Islam loves Jews.' Since I grew up in Lebanon and understand the subject, she asked for my opinion. Instead of starting to present her with countless Muslim sources in Arabic, I sent her a video featuring imams from prestigious mosques, Islamic scholars from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, journalists, politicians, writers, and even children from Muslim countries, as they discuss their attitudes toward Jews. It's difficult to watch this content due to the overwhelming antisemitism. There's a segment where an imam shows photographs of Jewish bones from the Holocaust being dragged by bulldozers into mass graves, and laments: 'Allah, why did you give this pleasure to the Nazis and not to us?' A level of evil that's hard to accept exists."

"After she watched the video, the woman wrote to me: 'You are no different in your extremism from them.' From her perspective, the problem was that I shared this video. In her eyes, the fact that I show reality makes me a hater and racist. About a year ago, that same woman sent me an email acknowledging her mistake and writing that she should have listened to me. I've encountered countless cases like this. I believe that if you approach people with the right persuasion strategies, most are willing to listen."

Many Islamic scholars argue that Islam is too diverse to discuss as a single unit, and according to them, the problems of contemporary Islam also stem from Western influences, such as the combination of Marxism with Shiite ideology, a combination that stands behind the rule of the Iranian ayatollahs.

"This is a classic 'No True Scotsman' fallacy (a logical fallacy where one preemptively prevents the refutation of their claim, for example when stating that 'no true Scotsman' would do a certain action, and thus when presented with Scotsmen who do so, they can claim that they are not 'true Scotsmen'; M.H.). According to this approach, we'll always find a way to claim that leading religious figures like Yusuf al-Qaradawi from Al-Azhar don't represent 'true' Islam, and instead the homosexual who eats pork, drinks vodka, and studies at a Western university is the one who represents 'true Islam.' Similarly, we're told that Khomeini, the Saudi sheikhs, ISIS, or even Muhammad himself don't represent 'true Islam.' It's nonsense."

In the book, Saad presents an analysis conducted on the three canonical texts of Islam: the Quran, the Hadith, and Sharia. It was found that more than half of them are devoted to jihad and negative descriptions of infidels, and that "hatred of Jews (9.3%) is higher in them than in Hitler's 'Mein Kampf'." Saad notes that since September 11, more than 45,000 terrorist attacks have been carried out worldwide in the name of Islam, and mentions the suffering experienced by non-Muslim minorities in Muslim countries.

As an evolutionary psychologist, how can you explain the trend of Islamic expansion, which often leads societies to ignorance, poverty, and violence? Seemingly, it's an ideology that makes it difficult to survive.

"One answer is that most religions offer a solution to the problem of death. Islam, unlike Judaism for example, places strong emphasis on eternal life in the hereafter. Therefore, even if this world is difficult, believers see it only as a temporary stage on the way there. From an evolutionary perspective, Islam is built as a highly successful system of ideas. Biologist Richard Dawkins coined the term 'meme' to describe how ideas spread, and Islam is a very effective memetic system. Unlike Judaism, which is a marketing failure, since it's not missionary and makes conversion difficult, Islam is the most missionary religion in the world. It's enough to declare the 'shahada' before witnesses to become Muslim. That's why there are 125 times more Muslims in the world than Jews."

Saad is a prominent speaker on the dangers of Muslim immigration for the future of Europe, as well as for the future of his country, Canada. We are speaking a few days after an Islamist attack that took place in the city of Villach, Austria, when a Syrian immigrant stabbed to death a 14-year-old boy and wounded five others. The event shocked many, especially because the attacker was documented smiling immediately after the murder. This alongside a recent ramming attack in Munich, and the murder of an anti-Muslim activist in Sweden.

During the riots that took place last summer between Muslims and locals in Britain, you tweeted that in your opinion, a war in Europe with Muslims is already inevitable. What is your opinion now in light of recent developments?

"If European decision-makers continue their current policy toward Islam – it's a 100% certainty. It's like testing the effects of gravity by jumping off a roof. Ideas lead to results, and Islam is a coded system of ideas. When you place Islam in Western conditions, they cannot coexist peacefully over time. True, one can find periods in history when Muslims and non-Muslims lived together, but it was never stable over time. It's like a person before a heart attack; until the moment of the attack, everything seems fine, but in the background, inevitable processes are already developing that lead to collapse. If trends in immigration and Islamic influence continue, Europe will descend into massive violence. And not just Europe, but any place where these processes are occurring. Demographics is a decisive factor; the more Islam there is, the fewer freedoms there are. Either Europeans will wake up or they will become Islamic, like the 56 countries that are part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation."

Do you think that to stand against the danger of Islam, the West needs to return to religion?

"I don't agree with the view that the only way for people to find purpose, meaning, and comfort is through religion. I understand the tendency to do so, as long as the pursuit of religion doesn't harm the rights of others. My friend Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a harsh critic of radical Islam, left the Muslim world and became an atheist, but when she realized that atheism doesn't provide a unifying glue in the struggle against the Muslim threat to the West, she turned to Christianity. I understand this choice from a pragmatic perspective, but I believe that reason can also connect us, and I call on the West to return to it."

Gad Saad (60) was born in Beirut to a Jewish family that emigrated from Damascus. In the shadow of the bloody civil war that erupted in the country in 1975, his family fled to Montreal, Canada. "We were part of the last group of Jews who remained in Lebanon. Most Jews had already left before us, including my extended family – uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents. Most moved to Israel, some to France, and some to Canada."

How was it growing up in Beirut, which was nicknamed "the Paris of the Middle East"?

Saad is skeptical of this comparison. "Yes, Beirut was called 'the Paris of the Middle East,' but it was always conditional. One day it's a place where Jews can live, and the next day it becomes impossible. It's important to understand that tolerance in the Middle East is not like tolerance in the West. My brother, who was Lebanon's judo champion for years, received 'hints' that it was time for him to retire, because it's 'not appropriate' for a Jew to win competitions all the time. When he wasn't ready to retire, he left for France. My older brother left the country with his wife a year before the civil war, and I, a ten-year-old child, stayed with my parents in Lebanon until it was no longer possible to live there."

What do you remember from your time as a Jewish child in Lebanon?

"Even as a child, I knew that trouble could come at any moment. The first case of antisemitism I remember was in 1970, when I was almost six. Egyptian President Nasser died, and throughout Beirut, there were demonstrations and shouting. The slogan that kept repeating was 'Death to Jews.' I remember being confused and asking my mother why they were shouting 'Death to Jews' because of the death of an Egyptian president."

Saad recalls another incident that occurred shortly before the war. "The teacher asked the students to stand up and tell what they wanted to be when they grew up. One said he wanted to be a firefighter, one a doctor, one a police officer. And then one child stood up and said, 'When I grow up, I want to kill Jews.' The class applauded and laughed. That child knew I was Jewish, and that there was another Jewish child in the class besides me, but that didn't prevent him from saying it. The hatred toward Jews was so common and banal that no one even thought it was something unusual. In the Middle East, Jews are always portrayed as absolute evil. If there are floods – it's because of the Jews; if it doesn't rain – it's because of the Jews. Even when there were shark attacks in Egypt, they said the Israeli Mossad trained the sharks to attack Egyptians. Everything is interpreted through the perception that Jews pull the strings."

How do you feel when you see what's happening in Lebanon today?

"Personally, it causes me great pain. I'm sorry that I will never be able to share my experiences of Lebanon with my children. I can't take them to see my school, the bakery where we bought cakes, the soccer field where I played. It's like a distant memory from another life. The reality is that I will never be able to return there. But beyond that, it also hurts to see Lebanon's current state. It's a failed state not only because of religious and sectarian problems, but also because of inconceivable corruption. People have lost all their savings, they can't withdraw money from the bank. I believe that if the Middle East were to free itself from all this madness, it could be an amazing place. It's the cradle of civilization, a place full of history, beauty, tradition, hospitality, and human warmth. But all of this is trampled by wars, religion, and corrupt politics."

When you talk about religions, you sound like an atheist, but you observe the Sabbath and are careful not to eat pork. How do you define your Jewish identity?

"I'm not hostile to religion, certainly not to Judaism. Religion is a wonderful thing because it creates a shared narrative, and from an evolutionary perspective, it has many functional values. My problem is when religion becomes too arrogant and offers a narrative that contradicts science. So if it's about connecting to Jewish identity, there's no one more Jewish than me. But if it means lighting candles at exactly 4:21 p.m., then no. Judaism is a multi-dimensional structure – a people, a lineage, a shared history. In that sense, I am completely Jewish. Two weeks ago, we celebrated my son's bar mitzvah in a completely traditional way – he read from the Torah and I put on tefillin with him. I live my Judaism much more than most Jews in the world, because I had to put on running shoes and flee from those who tried to behead me. So I've done my part."

Last year, Saad published another book, which has not yet been translated into Hebrew, titled, "The Saad Truth about Happiness: 8 Secrets for Leading the Good Life." "If you had asked me after I finished writing 'Parasites' what my next book would be, I wouldn't have told you it would be about happiness. This book grew organically."

Perhaps it came as a reaction, you needed to focus on something more optimistic.

"First of all, that's true, the previous book dealt with what happens to consciousness when it's negatively influenced, so it was nice to write a positive book. But it was really born from many people writing to me and asking: 'What's your secret, professor? How do you manage to keep your sense of humor, how are you always smiling, despite the difficulties you've experienced in life and the difficult subjects you deal with?' So I thought, why not write a book that explains these secrets? At first, I hesitated, because this is probably the most written-about topic since the beginning of philosophy until today. The ancient Greeks already wrote a lot about how to live a good life. The question was whether I could write a book that would be truly unique. I want to believe that I can, and that I bring unique insights combined with ancient wisdom and contemporary science, creating something fresh and new."

What do you see as the central factors for achieving happiness in life?

"One of the things I talk about in the book is the two most important decisions in life, those that can bring you the most happiness – or, unfortunately, the most suffering: choosing the right partner, and choosing the right profession. Meaning in life comes mainly through profession. I argue that the more you succeed in realizing your creativity in your work, the more meaning and sense of existential fulfillment you'll receive – which leads to deeper happiness. What does it mean to realize the creative drive? A stand-up comedian, for example, creates new jokes that didn't exist before, hoping they will make the audience happy. A chef creates new dishes, an architect designs buildings, a writer or researcher creates new knowledge. There are countless ways to satisfy our creative drive, and when we do so, we become immersed in meaning and purpose. This doesn't mean we don't need bus drivers or insurance adjusters, and that their lives aren't important. But how many people really wake up in the morning and say 'I am existentially happy because I am an accountant?' For most, it's simply a job that allows them to pursue other interests. But if your work itself can be a kind of laboratory for creation and innovation, then you've truly won."

Isn't happiness also related to having the right genes?

"I mention at the beginning of the book that about half of the differences in people's level of happiness come from genetics, which still leaves half in our hands. It may be that I was born with a tendency toward optimism and you with a tendency toward pessimism, which gives me an advantage over you – but I can make all the wrong decisions and adopt wrong approaches, and you will do the opposite and reach the peak of happiness much faster than me. So it's really not depressing, but rather a message of empowerment."

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Terror strikes South Africa's LGBTQ+ community: Muhsin Hendricks, recognized globally as history's first openly gay imam, was fatally shot in the city of Kabarha in the southern region of the country, according to an announcement from the Australian government.

The imam, who operated a mosque that served as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ Muslims, was traveling in his vehicle accompanied by another individual when their path was blocked by a car. Armed assailants emerged and opened fire, killing Hendricks. According to the police statement, "Two unidentified suspects with covered faces fired multiple shots at the vehicle. The driver fled the scene and only later noticed that Hendricks, who was in the back seat, had been shot and killed."

BREAKING:

A video has been released of yesterday's Islamist terror attack in South Africa in which killed the world's first openly gay imam.

Muhsin Hendricks ran a mosque in Cape Town intended as a safe haven for gay & marginalised Muslims.

He was murdered in an ambush. pic.twitter.com/obZvM4BzGi

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 16, 2025

Though police authorities maintain the motive remains unclear, South Africa's LGBTQ+ community is certain this was a targeted terror attack. Security camera footage circulating on social media platforms documents the shooting incident.

Hendricks founded his mosque in 2011 to provide a sanctuary and prayer space for Muslims who had been ostracized from their communities due to their sexual orientation. The Ghurbaah Mosque, located in Cape Town's Wynberg neighborhood, garnered extensive media coverage as history's first Muslim center offering an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ members.

"I told myself that perhaps it was time we created our own space, where people could pray without being judged," Hendricks told The Guardian at the time. His decision to establish the mosque came after a friend shared his experience of being forced to listen to an extended sermon condemning homosexuality at his regular mosque.

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The corporation's leaders now stand accused of running a cult-like organization that encouraged its dependent employees to produce as many children as possible, who were subsequently exploited, enslaved, and sexually abused. Meanwhile, the corporation's executives lived in luxury reserved for the nation's wealthiest elite. The conglomerate employs 5,000 workers across restaurants, bakeries, factories, and supermarkets in 20 countries throughout the Muslim world and the West.

A CNN investigation exposed the horrific conditions in which over 600 children were held at the company's compound. According to the report, police suspect some children were born as a result of sexual assault, which corporate officials encouraged to populate the company's orphanages and secure lucrative contracts and donations.

Former employees told the American news network that while living in corporate compounds, they were forbidden from possessing mobile phones and received news only through the corporation's television channel, which primarily broadcast propaganda and Islamic preaching from the group's founder, Ashari Mohammad, a religious preacher whose organization was outlawed in the Muslim nation in 1994.

The current corporate leader, Nasiruddin Mohd Ali, transformed the religious group and commercial corporation into a secretive organization controlling dozens of shelters and worker residences.  The daughter of founder Ashaari Muhammad claims the organization became unrecognizable under the new leadership: "Women face constant abuse, and all raised funds serve only the leaders' comfort."

Nasiruddin, arrested amid the investigation, offered an unconvincing defense: "I'm not trying to blame the law. We did some things the law considers wrong. Yes, there were one or two cases of sodomy, but why group everything together?"

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The Friday Prayer Imam of Kazeroun in southern Iran was fatally shot on Friday, as reported by IRNA News, marking the third such killing of the provincial town's top cleric since the Islamic revolution of 1979. Mohammad Sabahi succumbed to his injuries at Namazi Hospital in Shiraz despite medical intervention, Kazeroun's governor Mohammad Ali Bekhrad confirmed to IRNA on Friday evening, the anti-ayatollah outlet Iran International reported Saturday.

Video: Iranian cleric being shot by attacker in Iran's Kazeroun / Credit: Social Media

The shooting occurred after Friday prayers, according to IRNA, which notably avoided characterizing the death as martyrdom – a term typically reserved for deaths with political or religious significance in Iran.

Friday prayer imams, who are appointed by religious authorities under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's oversight, hold significant religious and political influence in Iranian communities. Initial reports about the incident were contradictory, with Iranian media first announcing Sabahi's death, then describing his condition as critical. The assailant reportedly took his own life following the attack.

Governor Bekhrad dismissed terrorism as a motive, suggesting to IRNA that personal grievances might have prompted the shooting. He indicated that investigations are ongoing. When news of the shooting emerged, claims on a popular Telegram channel that the attacker was a war veteran were quickly refuted by Mehdi Mazarei, head of Kazeroun's Martyrs Foundation, who warned against spreading misinformation.

Mizan News, affiliated with Iran's judiciary, reported that the assailant had a criminal history rather than military service. According to their report, the individual had previously attempted to attack a judge with explosives two decades ago, suffering self-inflicted injuries, and served six years in prison for bombing incidents in Gachsaran and other offenses, including weapon theft and bribery.

Before his appointment to Kazeroun in November 2019, Sabahi had served as Friday Imam of Kharameh in Fars province for ten years. The town of Kazeroun, with approximately 100,000 residents, has witnessed similar attacks before. In May 2019, Friday Imam Mohammad Khorsand was fatally stabbed after Ramadan prayers. The perpetrator, Hamid Reza Derakhshandeh, was executed within two months. In July 1981, another Friday Imam, Abdolrahim Daneshjou, was shot dead near his home after evening prayers, with state sources attributing the attack to MEK members, now an exiled opposition group in Albania.

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